Today is National Forestry Planting Day which recognises Australia’s sustainable and renewable forest industries. The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), Ross Hampton said each year approximately 70 million new trees are planted during winter in southern Australia and summer in northern Australia. Source: Timberbiz
“The tree planting season ensures Australia has a continual, renewable resource that contributes to long-term carbon emissions abatement,” Mr Hampton said.
“These are trees that, as they grow, will absorb carbon from the atmosphere before being harvested to create products used in homes every day. As well, our sustainable and renewable forest industries support communities across Australia, providing livelihoods for thousands of families, while making a positive environmental contribution.
“Last year Australian timber products helped build more than 162,000 homes, and every year, enough tree seedlings are planted to cover an area equivalent to 136,000 football fields, and that figure is set to increase.
“In order for Australia to meet the anticipated quadrupling of demand for wood fibre by 2050 even more trees than the 70 million need to be planted each year.
“The Federal Government has recognised this need through its National Forest Industries Plan and has committed to planting one billion new trees over the next decade. It has also funded nine forest industry hubs across Australia in regions where the industry is well established, to ensure the right trees are planted in the right places.
“The forest products industry is one of Australia’s largest manufacturing industries with an annual turnover around $24 billion. It contributes around 0.5 per cent to gross domestic product and 6.6% of manufacturing output. Around 80,000 people are directly employed along the industry value chain with a further 100,000 jobs supported through flow-on economic activity.
“In fact, our forestry operations are carbon positive and our plantation estate stores an estimated 258 million tonnes of carbon. Those alone are reason enough to celebrate National Forestry Planting Day,” Mr Hampton said.
